Students weigh convenience and freedom when deciding where to live
By Kelly Calame
With six different housing facilities on campus and numerous apartment complexes off campus, students can choose from a variety of places to stay, and students have different perspectives on the costs, rules, advantages and disadvantages of the housing options provided.
FRESHMEN HOUSING RULE
To live off campus, a student must have at least 45 credit hours, be 21 years or older, married and living with spouse or living at home with parents, within 60 miles of the campus.
Kelsey Gunia, a sophomore in elementary education, said the rule is reasonable.
“I wouldn’t want people living in a house before they’re ready to live on their own,” she said.
Naomi Skinner, a junior in mass communication, said the rule is unfair because it applies to 50 percent of the student population.
“Some students that need or want to live off campus can’t because of this rule,” she said.
While housing has restrictions regarding housing options, Michael Mills, director of housing, can override the rule if a student needs to live off campus.
“[Students] can request a housing exemption through me,” he said. “But it has to be a special circumstance. There has to be a reason why.”
Mills said incoming students perform better when they live on campus during their first year.
“Almost every university has housing, [which] is a requirement for first-year students,” Mills said. “National studies have shown that students academically and socially perform better living on campus, because students are closer to class, so they are more obligated to go, and there are many events on campus to get involved in.”
Mills said when students live off-campus, they aren’t as connected to the students who live on campus.
“For freshmen, it can be difficult to make friends living off-campus. They end up transferring or drop out,” he said. “Statistically, a majority of students who live on campus are more successful.”
LIVING ON CAMPUS
Assuming university housing is full (1,320 beds), and since enrollment is around 6,000 students, 22 percent of them would be living on campus. However, in the spring approximately 1,101 students (19 percent) out of 5,800 lived on campus largely because of the convenience.
Gunia, a Sunwatcher Village resident, said she chose to live where she does because of the advantages living on campus brings.
“I don’t have to drive to school, I have a private bedroom, and I don’t have any electricity or water bills,” she said.
Felicia Martinez, who also lives in Sunwatcher Village, said she loves how convenient it is to live on campus.
“I can go back to my room between classes, and if there are any problems, maintenance is usually pretty fast,” she said. “The only bad thing about [Sunwatcher] is the size of the closets and kitchen.”
Sundance Court resident Devon Graves, a sophomore in sociology, said she is happy living on campus because she is close to all of her classes.
“I also enjoy having all bills paid,” she said. “I never have to worry about using too much water or electricity.”
COSTS OF LIVING ON CAMPUS
Although Graves said she enjoys living on campus, she believes it is overpriced.
“It is really expensive, so that does encourage me to find housing elsewhere,” she said.
Martinez, a junior in business management, said she is paying too much to live on campus.
“Room and board is too high,” she said. “I live in a two-bedroom apartment, and my roommate and I pay the same price, when a one-bedroom apartment off-campus is less expensive than one of our rents.”
Other students think the price of living on campus is reasonable.
“I don’t think I’m paying too much, because living on campus is very convenient, and the luxuries I have at Sundance aren’t as available at other complexes,” Christopher Carter, a senior in sociology, said.
Christopher Baugh, a sophomore in geology, said he is not paying too much to live on campus.
“About $600 for everything we get is not too expensive,” he said. “Being on campus, having my utilities paid for, and having my own bathroom and washer and dryer are all very nice.”
HOUSING RULES
All of the residence halls and apartments on campus have rules students must abide by. All housing has a 24-hour courtesy rule, meaning students should be respectful to others in the community. At 10 p.m., quiet hours start.
Sunwatcher, Sundance and Bridwell apartments do not enforce visitation hours, but housing does not allow co-habitation. Killingsworth, Pierce, and McCullough-Trigg Halls require all resident guests to check in and check out at the service desk with an I.D. The guest hours last until 1 a.m. on weeknights and 2 a.m. on weekends.
“I don’t like living in McCullough-Trigg because of having to check people in,” Ashleigh Thompson, a sophomore in education, said. “I don’t like the time limit that people can stay in my room at night either.”
Housing does not allow alcohol in any of the dorms because of the close proximity of others around who might be underage. However, alcohol is allowed in the apartments if all of the residents in the room are 21 years or older.
“Alcohol is allowed in the apartments if it’s confined,” Mills said. “A wild binge-drinking party is not acceptable.”
Housing also does not allow animals in any of the dorms or apartments on campus.
“Not being able to have pets is a huge downside to living on campus,” Chelsea McClendon, a sophomore in accounting, said. “As long as the resident is fully aware and responsible to fix any damages made by the pet, then it should be allowed.”
While housing bills students for any damages to the dorm rooms or apartments, Mills said, housing does not bill students for any utility fees for accessible use of water or electricity.
“If we notice a person has a constant higher water or electricity bill, for example, we will send a letter to them and ask them to practice better conservation efforts,” he said.
LIVING OFF CAMPUS
Students who have completed 45 credit hours may continue to live on campus or can move off campus.
Coby Smith, a sophomore in kinesiology, said living off campus has its advantages because he doesn’t have to follow housing rules.
“I chose to live off campus because I’d have more independence and wouldn’t have to deal with housing,” Smith said. “I am an adult and shouldn’t have to have someone regulate me and how I live.”
Smith lives in French Quarter apartments and pays approximately $350 for rent and $80-$150 for utilities on a two-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,200-square-foot apartment.
“I don’t have to eat at the cafeteria, and I can eat healthier, I can have animals, I don’t have random room checks, and I don’t have to attend hall meetings. My girlfriend and I can have an adult relationship,” Smith said. “But I do have to worry about bills.”
Michael Winters, a junior in sociology and psychology, also lives in French Quarter.
“Screw living on campus,” Winters said. “I highly doubt I could have three cats and smoke marijuana in the dorms.”
Winters pays approximately $350-400 a month and shares a two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom townhouse with his roommate.
“I live close to school and work. It’s not far from everything I need,” Winters said. “I pay a reasonable price. People move in and out frequently, so there is no sense of community, but they are never around to complain about noise. My house is also hidden away from the parking lot, so I’m less likely to be disturbed.”
Winters said there are some cons with living off campus.
“French Quarter has poor management with managers coming and going and problems never being resolved,” he said. “Also the poor lighting and lack of security makes crime a more likely event.”
Michael Anekwe, a senior in geology, lives in Colony Park, and pays $520 in rent for his apartment.
“I just preferred the idea of living off campus,” Anekwe said. “I just have one roommate, so I have a lot of privacy and space. One of the bad things about living off campus is that a vehicle is required.”
Colony Park resident, Cheddi Charles, a senior in mathematics, splits his rent with his roommate and pays $255 for his two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment.
“I chose to live off campus because it’s cheaper and there is more freedom,” Charles said. “I get to be more responsible with my actions, and I have more opportunities to do things. The distance from campus is a disadvantage, though. I’m not able to attend many campus activities or school sports on the weekends.”
Devyn Ackerson, a senior in history, who lives in Hunter’s Crossing, pays $380 a month and lives with one roommate.
“I chose to live off campus because I’m an adult,” Ackerson said. “I do what I want when I want. The only cons are loud people that live above me, and no one that works at the apartment comes to fix anything.”
MSU housing has signed a contract for 215 beds at Mustang Village, formerly The Grove, an apartment complex located off Southwest Parkway. Mills said Mustang Village is offering three-bedroom, three-bath units which the housing department will charge students $2,400 to rent, not including a meal plan.
“So automatically it’s cheaper than a campus apartment, and then we added in for the first time ever this fall we will have a five-meal plan that is available only to students in the apartments or commuter students,” Mills said. “You’ve got your own apartment, you’ve got your own private bedroom and you’ve got your own private bathroom. Then when you add in your five-meal plan, which would get you lunch every day in the cafeteria, it’s $700. So now you’re at $3,100 for your room and your meal plan, which is actually $200 cheaper than what you had a McCullough-Trigg.”
Michael Mills, director of housing, said that students who live in Mustang Village will not pay utilities out of pocket as long as they sign their lease through Midwestern State University.
“Midwestern is signing a lease for those units and students are leasing those from us. We’re making arrangements under a master lease,” Mills said. “Midwestern is going to charge all utilities included.”
Other costs at Mustang Village include a one-time $250 community fee and an optional monthly pet fee, but students who sign their lease through MSU housing will not be allowed to have pets, and they won’t be required to pay the $250 community fee.
“It’s stupid that we have to pay $250 for a community fee which goes toward parties I don’t attend,” Rhoades said. “I have no interest in the drunk parties they throw.”
Rhoades chose to live at The Grove because she was tired of campus police, and wanted to live with her dog, she said. She lives in a three-bedroom apartment, and each person pays $460 a month.
“It’s spacious, but it’s not worth $1,380,” Rhoades said. “Honestly, The Grove is overpriced. Horrible people live here, there are lots of drugs, and it’s loud. Cars are unsafe, management does nothing with repairs, and I can’t break my lease if I need to.”
Each apartment includes furniture, walk-in closets, a washer and dryer, private bedrooms and bathrooms, a full-size kitchen, Internet and cable.
“I like having my own bedroom and bathroom. The kitchen is really nice, and all the furniture is included,” Rhoades said. “But the furniture is cheap and, the carpet is disgusting because of the dog pee.”
Rhoades said the residents who lived in her apartment before her had pets who peed on the carpet and failed to clean it up. The Grove management told Rhoades they would replace the carpet but never did.
The Grove clubhouse features a coffee bar, tanning beds, a library, a workout room and a game room, including air hockey, darts and a pool table. Around the complex is a sand volleyball court, resort-style pool, a full basketball court, a fire pit, a grilling area and controlled access gates.
“The gates don’t work, and the pool is gross,” Rhoades said. “Choosing where to live is important. It affects everything.”
KILLINGSWORTH HALL AND PIERCE HALL
Killingsworth is a six-story, female residence hall, located directly across from Clark Student Center, which includes television and study lounges on every floor, two full-sized kitchens and multiple laundry rooms.
“Killingsworth is fairly decent,” Florence Wilson, a sophomore in marketing and Killingsworth resident, said. “The laundry rooms are so much better now since it’s free to wash clothes, and the lounges are nice and clean.”
Pierce Hall is a three-story, male residence hall located in between Killingsworth and the Fain Fine Arts Center. It includes a lobby and television lounge on the first floor as well as a full-sized kitchen. The second floor has a game area, a lounge and a kitchen area. Two laundry rooms, study group rooms and private study rooms are also available.
“Pierce can get dirty sometimes,” Ross Compton, an undecided freshman, said. “A lot of times people leave their laundry in the washer or dryer too long, and the rest of us can’t use it.”
Each Killingsworth and Pierce room is semi-private and includes two twin beds (which can be raised for storage underneath), two chests of drawers, desks, chairs, a micro-fridge unit, a vanity with sink, mini blinds, cable, phone and Internet hookups. Each room is approximately 200 square feet.
“[The rooms] are nice,” Compton said. “I don’t hear a lot of noise, but then again, I’m usually not in my room.”
Killingsworth and Pierce also feature private bathrooms as opposed to community bathrooms. Six or seven single bathrooms are located in each hallway.
“The bathrooms could be better at times, but for the most part, they are decent,” Wilson said. “They are usually pretty clean, and so much better than community bathrooms.”
Both halls have a service desk on the first floor which provides 24-hour access for cleaning supplies, maintenance request forms and other services.
“The service-desk people are really nice and very helpful,” Wilson said.
MCCULLOUGH-TRIGG HALL
McCullough-Trigg is a six-story, co-ed facility behind Killingsworth. The hall includes six lounges with televisions and a public kitchen.
McCullough-Trigg rooms are suite-style with one resident assigned to each bedroom. Each room is connected to a bathroom that is shared with another room. Four people share one bathroom and are responsible for cleaning it.
“I like that Trigg is co-ed, and I get my own room, but I don’t like sharing a bathroom with four people,” Ashleigh Thompson, a sophomore in education, said.
Each room includes a micro-fridge unit, washer and dryer, and cable, phone, and Internet hook-ups. Similar to Killingsworth and Pierce, a bed, desk, chair, shelves and mini blinds are provided for each student. Each room is approximately 200 square feet.
“The bedrooms and closets are small,” Thompson said.
SUNDANCE COURT
Sundance Court is the newest apartment complex that offers four-bedroom, two-bath units and two-bedroom, two-bath units. The two-bedroom rooms are approximately 700-900 square feet and the four-bedroom rooms are approximately 1000-1100 square feet.
“I chose to live at Sundance because I thought [the staff] were the nicest,” Chelsea McClendon, a sophomore in accounting, said. “[Sundance] is more of a hotel style rather than Sunwatcher which is more of a real apartment feel.”
Each room includes full-sized beds, a washer and dryer, a complete set of furniture, walk-in closets, Internet, phone and cable hook-ups. The only difference between the four-bedroom and two-bedroom is the two-bedroom units have completely private bathrooms. Four-bedroom residents share a bathroom with another roommate.
“The [Sundance] facility is very nice. I have my own bathroom, and I live near everything on campus,” Christopher Carter, a senior in sociology, said. “But the space is kind of small so you can hear everything.”
Sundance Court also offers study lounges, a computer lab, two gas grills, a courtyard, and is located near the Student Wellness Center.
“I chose to live at Sundance because it’s close to the Wellness Center,” Jenna Landry, a junior in biology, said.
SUNWATCHER VILLAGE
Sunwatcher Village is an open-style apartment complex that offers four-bedroom, two-bathroom and two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments, that have similar square footage to those of Sundance. Each apartment is fully furnished and has a full-sized kitchen equipped with a refrigerator, microwave, stove, oven, dishwasher, washer and dryer. All apartments are all bills paid. Technology services include cable television, telephone and Ethernet.
“I like having my own bathroom, being close to my classes, and being able to have free maintenance checks any time,” Naomi Skinner, a junior in mass communication, said. “The rooms could be better maintained though.”
The Sunwatcher Village Clubhouse sits in the middle of the apartment complex and offers a computer lab, work out room, and a common area.
BRIDWELL COURTS
Bridwell Courts is an all-bills-paid apartment complex for families, graduate students and upperclassmen (if space is available). Each apartment comes with a basic furniture package, a full-sized kitchen and access to the laundry room. Efficiency one-bathroom, one-bedroom one-bathroom and two-bedroom one-bathroom apartments are available.
“The best thing is that there are one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments which a student who wants to live alone, without a roommate, can.” Arghavan Madjinasab, a management information systems major, said. “The price is suitable too, in contrast to the other courts.”